Sunday, August 31, 2008

Weekend Wrap-up


This picture was taken from my deck in NH when I lived there...hot air balloons regularly traveled over the lake. In fact, on weekends, they ofter were our alarm clock...we woke up to the swoosh of air being heated or released, and we alway got up and went out to watch them touch down and take off several times as they passed.
I hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend...doing something special, visiting friends or relatives, etc.
1. This week, we have resumed regular activities (meaning golf, mostly) now that it has dried up from Fay. We watched the path of Gustav with interest, and we were very happy that it did not come our way...our thoughts and prayers go out to those in Louisiana and anyone else in its path. Now we are focused on Hanna...she might or might not be coming our way.
2. Writing has been going well...have been going back and forth with my editor at Jason and Nordic regarding my new book, RUSSELL'S VICTORY, which is a companion book to IT'S TIME. I have also made good progress on my WIP mystery, having written a chapter a day. The first draft is over half written, and then the harder work begins. Still waiting on a couple of agents with my MG novel...not ready yet to send out more queries on it just yet.
3. Plans for the SCWG conference the fourth week in January in Cocoa Beach are coming together very nicely. Am really looking forward to meeting Cynthia Lord in person...she will be doing one of our keynotes. Am still looking for children's book editor, so if you are one or you know one who might like a trip to Florida in the middle of winter, let me know.
4. Have also had fun researching butterfly houses, which I learned about on Kate Messner's blog...it is a perfect activity for one of the main characters in my WIP mystery. Also have researched idioms...they are so much fun to write about. The good thing about all my research is that I have all these books at home so I can read them, but then my six-year-old grandson comes over and HE reads them all, too. After his reading yesterday, he said to me, "Nanny, I'm going to tell you a secret, but keep it under your hat." So that is what I am doing!
Onward and upward...have a good week.

1 comment:

Press Dough said...

Hi Judy,

My son would love to see those hot air balloons. Wow, what a "stimulating" sight!

I love that you have taken your years of experience as a teacher and continue to use your knowledge to help our children. What important work you have accomplished.

We come from different sides of the table. My perspective is that of parenting a child on the spectrum while yours is educating. None the less, we are all in this together.

Thank you for your dedication.